If I hadn’t heard out about Cocotte from a
friend, then I would’ve never found this hidden gem in Robina. Cocotte is
nicely tucked in Robina Quays Shopping Center, with a heartwarming outdoor
space for dining. I find that Cocotte’s are mostly European with a Japanese
influence to it. The Japanese chef and his team at Cocotte uses the freshest
seasonal ingredients to create the best culinary experience for each customer.
For those who are a bit more curious, like myself, can see the artistry of the team
working in an open kitchen.
As my friends and I walked into the
restaurant, nice and polite staff members greeted us and showed us to a table
in their little backyard. However, what caught my attention was the amount of
detail they put into the decorations at this restaurant. I’m a big fan of the
Japanese culture and the decorations they used were really cute and creative,
which reminded me of some cafes I had been to in Japan.
Cocotte’s menu consists of a range of tapas
that can be shared with friends, larger mains, a number of daily specials and a
diverse range of homemade European desserts with an Asian twist!
My friends and I ordered a couple of tapas,
a main and some desserts to share:
Spanner crab croquets with yuzu mayo
The outside was deep-fried just right and
had a very creamy texture on the inside. The mayo had a hint of yuzu which
wasn't too strong and complimented the croquet.
Bauhaus balls – Spanish mackerel fish balls
deep friend and served with mayo.
Though a friend of mine thought that this
was too fishy, I thought it was lovely! Being a big seafood fan, I liked the
taste of this and the texture wasn’t very creamy like the croquets.
Tempura prawns with wasabi mayo
The prawns were extremely fresh and it was
nicely battered. I always give a restaurant extra likes if they use good
quality, fresh prawns. It makes so much difference to the texture of the
overall dish and I wouldn’t pay for tempuras that use not-so-fresh prawns.
5-hour braised OX tail and beef cheek in
red wine and black miso.
This was definitely the stand-out winner
for me! The just-right texture of the beef cheeks and ox tail…mmm! Because it
was cooked in red wine and miso for so long, the flavor really went into each
bit of the meat!
I always look forward to desserts and
Cocotte didn’t disappoint at all!
Chocolate soufflé
Must say this is rich chocolate dessert has
probably been the best I’ve had so far! The vanilla ice cream complements the
soufflé well! However, I’d recommend this dessert to share, as there is a
lotttttt of chocolate (unless you’re a mega chocolate fan)!
Vanilla crème brulee
The creamy vanilla taste underneath a layer
of crystallised sugar was just …. Irresistible!
Lemon myrtle green tea panna cotta with
azuki shortbread, strawberry soup
To be honest, I was most looking forward to
trying this dessert just because I’d never had green tea panna cotta before! I’m
a huge fan of green tea and there’s just not enough of green tea-related food
products on the Gold Coast! And of course, the winner of desserts goes to the
Green Tea panna cotta! The panna cotta wasn’t too sweet to cover the aroma of
the green tea and the accompanying strawberries and mint helped refresh my
taste buds! Each time I bit into the azuki shortbread, I just had images of a
tea ceremony taking place… the bitterness of green tea accompanying the
sweetness of a small dessert on the side, the atmosphere of the whole room, the
serenity, the zen, the rooming looking out to a traditional Japanese garden,
with bonsai and trickling water…
And then I’m back to reality. Even though
the atmosphere is very different at Cocotte, it gives you a sense of pleasure.
There’s something so heartwarming about this place that no other restaurant on
the Gold Coast has!
If it weren’t for the slightly higher price
in the selection of food they have here, I’d definitely come here a lot more
often! Unfortunately, being a uni student means that this will be a place for
very special occasions only but I’ll be saying to people I know: “Do you know I
place called Cocotte in Robina? You must try it out!”
Cocotte's Website: http://www.cocotte.com.au/index.html
